the last dance
by javct
Summary: Lily Evans and Severus Snape shared their final dance at her wedding. "that could have been me..."


**Author's note: **nothing new here. Just some angst. Please review!

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Dancing ensures at a wedding. The dancing can, and does, range from seventies music to classical music to which the husband and wife and father and daughter dance to. The classical music is final farewell for the father and wonderful hello to the husband. Each wedding has a particular dance however, that all the audience members remember; they remember, because they must and, whenever the memory is brought up from beneath the rubble it is lined with traces of ice sparks, bittersweet feelings and a stolen smile. This dance, some people would call the final dance.

Lily Evans and Severus Snape shared their final dance at her wedding.

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The wedding of James and Lily was conducted as wedding should be: a walk down the isle, the best man sneaking a look at the bride, a father's final kiss and vows sealed with a kiss and a dance. The bride wore white and the groom wore a black tuxedo. The best man flirted with the maid of honour and the bridesmaids ceremoniously wiped crystal tears from their eyes.

In the eyes of James Potter, Lily Evans had never looked more beautiful. White was a colour that Lily wore infrequently; she always said that white clashed with her hair. James disagreed. He thought that she should wear white more often. James had been breath taken on the odd occasion with Lily but he had never been speechless before as he was now. His mouth was slight ajar and his glasses fell down his nose in shock. James couldn't believe that after years of wrong mistakes and bad dancing she was walking down the isle towards him. Under his gaze, Lily ducked her head and smiled, her hand tightening around her father's arm. James smiled because she smiled. Her father kissed her forehead, placed her hand in James' hand and sat down.

They exchanged their vows and sealed the rest of their lives with a kiss. Now, the dancing ensures.

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"I love you, Lily," James whispered into her ear as they danced. They waltzed on the dance floor, smiling and whispering their love to one another. They were truly in love and no one could doubt them.

"And I you, James." He loved it when she used his name; after year of surnames instead of first names, their first names seemed like sweet and honey. Pulling her in tighter, James closed his eyes. He was in heaven; he knew this was where he was meant to be: with Lily, forever and always. "You know," she mused, "if you were to tell sixteen year old me that I was going to marry James freaking Potter, I would have probably laughed in your face. It's funny how things worked out."

James nodded, "The thing is Lily, sixteen-year-old me did tell you that one day you'd marry me and as I recall, you didn't laugh at me: you tried to hex me." He smirked. Lily buried her head in James' shoulder, embarrassed. "Don't be embarrassed, I was just happy that you were paying me any attention back then, although, I do think that I may have driven Sirus up the wall with all my 'why did Lily hex me' 'why isn't Lily talking to me' 'why did she slap me' 'I thought girls liked flowers, well, maybe not ones that sung but still!'" he mocked.

"Oh shut up," Lily pushed his shoulders roughly, causing him to stumble back.

"Nice to know that the Lily from school is still there," James laughed, kissing her on the cheek. The song ended. "Now, Lily please don't be mad at me, it's our wedding day after all, but I invited someone."

"Who?" she asked as she looked around. Her friends and her family were both here, well, almost everyone. Petunia coincidentally got sick on the day of the wedding…two weeks in advance.

James replied sheepishly, "Now, I really don't like him but he was after all your best friend for most of your childhood."

"James!" Lily cried, "You invited Severus? Why?" looking around, Lily spotted Severus standing at the door, flowers in his hands.

"Because he was your best friend," James repeated.

"Yes, until he called me…" her voice trailed off. She stole another glance at him, "You know that I have forgiven him right?" she added. James nodded. "I was actually hoping he'd come anyway so I could just talk to him just one more time."

"Well, here's your chance Mrs. Potter." James jerked his head and Severus began to slowly make his way towards the dance floor. Murmurs broke out among the crowd but the couple and Severus paid them no heed. "Severus," James said curtly when he arrived.

"James," Severus replied. He turned to Lily, "Hello Lily," his voice sounded shaky as he addressed her.

Lily smiled and hugged him, "Hello Sev," she whispered into his ear. The music began to play again, "Shall we dance?" Severus nodded and took a hold of Lily's hand, "There's no need to be nervous Sev," Lily laughed, noticing his shaky hands, "We're friends after all."

Severus noticed her present tense, and smiled. Friends. "So, how have you been?" he asked, engaging in small talk. He was still nervous but was doing his best to hide it.

"Good. Just got married actually."

"Really?" Sev exclaimed in mock horror. "I had no idea! Who is the lucky man?"

"You see the one who is wearing those ridiculous glasses and is making the champagne form the shape of animals in the air? That one," Lily pointed at James whom was laughing with his friends.

"Well," Sev clicked his tongue, "I'd say you couldn't choose better Lily," his voice serious again. "So, how did he propose?"

Lily smiled, "At a Beatles concert. Apparently, he had tipped off everyone on stage before so he could get past security and propose to me in front of millions of people." Severus laughed, "Oh, stop it. It was sweet. A little over the top, but hey that's James Potter for you. He sung 'I want to hold your hand' to me before he proposed as well." She added as an after thought.

"Only James Potter," Severus muttered, stifling a laugh.

"Only James Potter," Lily agreed. "I've missed you Sev. I really have. I miss those ridiculous conversations we used to have about, well, I don't even remember what anymore, I miss those sun-kissed afternoons we used to spend down by the river that ran past both our houses and we'd talk for the whole afternoons, I miss those afternoons that you'd steal some of your mother's Firewhiskey and we'd drink it if one of us had had a rough day, I miss the way we would have silent conversations from half way across the Great Hall. Severus Snape, I miss us and all the ridiculous corny taglines that came along with us."

"I miss you too Lily. More than I ever thought I could miss a person."

"I mean, don't get me wrong, I love James, I really do. And I am going to spend the rest of my life with him. But I could also spend the rest of my life with you as well. I've loved two men, both of whom, I wouldn't change for anything. I love you Sev." The music stopped but they remained in their dance-hold for several moments longer. Hugging him tightly, Lily whispered one final thing to Severus: "goodbye," at that, she pulled away and returned to her now-husband. Sev watched as she kissed him on the cheek (that could have been me) and as he hugged her and whispered something that made her laugh into her ear (I could have been doing that) and as she smiled and entwined their hands (that could have been me).

Without saying another word, Severus walked towards the door, feeling content with himself. "I love you too Lily," he muttered to himself.

_That could have been me._


End file.
